 These tall and handsome ships, swaying imperceptibly on tranquil waters, these sturdy ships, with their inactive, nostalgic appearance, don’t they say to us in a speechless tongue: When do we cast off for happiness?XI

 In the language of the bourgeoisie, the grandeur of the words is in direct proportion to the pettiness of the sentiments.November 29, 1860; translation from Béatrix Le Wita (trans. J. A. Underwood) French Bourgeois Culture (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1994) p. 53.